Marlene Wagman-Geller

     In a bid to dispel February blues-a situation that arose from a lull in sports and wintery weather-André Laguerre, the editor of Sports Illustrated, willed into existence “The Swimsuit Edition.” Soon a burst of Malibu arrived in mailboxes across the nation featuring bodacious babes clothed in Barbie-sized bikinis, frolicking against a backdrop of white sand and azure seas. Then came Megan Rapinoe.

     In a bid to dispel February blues-a situation that arose from a lull in sports and wintery weather-André Laguerre, the editor of Sports Illustrated, willed into existence “The Swimsuit Edition.” Soon a burst of Malibu arrived in mailboxes across the nation featuring bodacious babes clothed in Barbie-sized bikinis, frolicking against a backdrop of white sand and azure seas. Then came Megan Rapinoe.

    Before the first female presidential nominee of a major political party was a twinkle in the nation’s eyes, before there was a female speaker of the House of Representatives, a female attorney general, or a female secretary of state, there was the F.W.O.T.S.C. – the first woman on the Supreme Court-an acronym Sandra Day O’Connor used when she ascended America’s loftiest bench.

A Simon and Garfunkel song describes a boxer who “carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down.” The lyric describes Rocky Balboa and the real Rocky: Chuck Wepner.

       The staccato bark, “Going, going, gone!” followed by the banging of a hammer, signifies the transfer of a coveted object to the highest bidder. The auction house, Christie’s, has made historic sales, some that would have astounded its founder, James Christie.

      Certain denizens of ancient mythology were hybrids: Pan- man and goat, the Minotaur- man and bull, the Sphinx- woman and lion. In the 20^th century, the coalescence of human and animal occurred when Yogi Berra was the inspiration for Yogi Bear.

    “Ritz” describes over -the -top- ostentation; it is also the name of the iconic French hotel. The part of speech and the place owe their existence to César Ritz.   

      Whether performing chopsticks or a concerto, the gold-embossed name, Steinway & Sons, tells the tale of a dynasty founded by Henry Steinway.

    Just as no man is a hero to his valet, no man is a hero to his employee- if the boss sends seismic tremors into the heart of an underling. The movie, The Devil Wears Prada, centers around Miranda Priestly, a roman à clef of Anna Wintour.

       Through the recesses of memory, baby boomers can recall their terror that PETA Enemy No 1 would separate Dalmatian puppies from their skins in to satisfy her passion for fashion. Hidden behind the scenes: Disney based Cruella de Ville (cruel devil,) after Tallulah Bankhead.

     In 1905, residents of the Russian village of Anatevka congregated to see Motel the tailor’s new arrival: a used sewing machine. The townspeople were too caught up with the modern marvel to think about the name embossed in white against a black background: SINGER-after Isaac Merritt Singer.

      While chowing down to a meal of fried chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, one is too engaged to think about the gentleman behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken mascot. But when the feeding frenzy abates, it might be interesting to learn about the famed father of fast food, Colonel Harland Sanders.

    Lucy Pevensie, the heroine of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, has delighted millions of the young-and the young at heart- as they accompanied her on a fantastical adventure in the land of perpetual winter. Her non-fictional counterpart was her namesake, Lucy Barfield.

     The New York Four comprised the most popular personalities in television sit-com history. While it is common knowledge the titular character portrayed comedienne Jerry Seinfeld, what fans may not realize is the show’s producer modeled attorney Jackie Chiles on legal eagle Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. 

    Forest Gump observed, “My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been.” While Forest never wore Birkenstocks, the footwear of the flower power generation trod quite the path since its founder, Johannes Adam Birkenstock, fashioned the first pair.

   For patriots, the name ‘Jefferson’ conjures the image of the Declaration of Independence. For rockers, the name ‘Jefferson,’ (along with Airplane,) conjures the image of The White Rabbit. The band’s moniker alludes to Lemon Jefferson.

      Israel Baline-Irving Berlin when he immigrated from Russia- 1938 song, “God Bless America,” could have been, “God Bless Columbus” had it not been for Amerigo Vespucci.  

   In yesteryear, children who heard the name McDonald sang along to the rhyme about an old man on a farm. Post 1950s, the connotation was of Happy Meals, playgrounds, and a ketchup-haired clown. The chain’s golden arches form the letter M- (and, subliminally, a woman’s breasts,) after the company’s founders, Richard, (Dick,) and Maurice, (Mac,) McDonald.